Chill injury in a plant causes a molecular response, which results in the production of plant signal compounds (ethylene, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and carbon dioxide), which serve as part of a plant cascade system to cause the plant to exhibit a response upon exposure to colder temperatures. Examples of plants that exhibit a chill injury response include fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
The chill injury response can be negative in plants. In fruits and vegetables, the chill injury response can result in irreparable damage to the fruit or vegetable. The chill injury response in fruits and vegetables can produce undesirable results such as fermented flavor, fermented odor, discoloration, a water-soaked appearance, wilting, pitting, browning, softening, russeting, and rotting of the fruit or vegetable. The chill injury response in a flower can result in a darkening and water-soaked appearance; discoloration of the stem, sepals and petals; or wilting of the flower. Interference with the plant signaling systems causing the chill injury response can allow for increased and prolonged exposure to colder temperatures, which is critical for the transportation of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, as they are commonly refrigerated during shipment.